Habitat for Humanity – Our Commitment from Apollo

Category: Leadership

Share:

Partners In Service:

Apollo Home Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing + Habitat for Humanity

For over 15 years, Apollo Home Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing has partnered with Habitat for Humanity because of Apollo Home’s belief in Habitat’s mission to help those less fortunate become homeowners.

Apollo Home supports Habitat’s work in teaching people the value of work ethic and rewarding them with home ownership that will fundamentally change the recipient’s life. Apollo Home was impressed by Habitat’s requirements for a resident of 500 hours of sweat equity in the home and ongoing financial responsibility for the home’s care and upkeep. Apollo Home also saw Habitat as a non-profit strongly aligned with one of Apollo Home’s core values: Passion to Serve. Compelled to help Habitat dramatically change the landscape of those less fortunate, James Gerdsen, Apollo Home President/CEO, joined the local Habitat for Humanity board. Although Apollo Home had donated labor and materials for homes in the past, it stepped up its donation effort in 2012 with over $50,000 in labor, materials and funds through an incentive contest called True Grit. The contest was designed to focus on what Gerdsen calls the four dimensions of leadership: Personal, Family, Business and Community.

Apollo Home encouraged its employees to volunteer Personal time and bring Family members with them to Habitat work sites. Apollo Home, as a Business, donated to Habitat a percentage of each HVAC and plumbing service and installation from January through April of 2012. In total, the True Grit employee contest resulted in over 1,000 hours of Community service and raised $10,000 for Habitat.

“My personal mission is aligned with a belief that people, families, and businesses build a strong community,” Gerdsen said. “Working with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, we’ve seen how collaboration we can positively impact homes, lives, and communities.”